Eric XIV of Sweden
From Freepedia
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Erik XIV (December 13, 1533 – February 26, 1577) was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568. He was the son of Gustav Vasa and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg. He was also ruler of Estonia, after it gave itself under Sweden in 1561.
He was considered a highly intelligent monarch of artificial skills and political ambitions but very early he also showed himself to be mentally unstable which at last led to insanity.
Eric’s foreign rule was dominated by his large-scale attempt of making Sweden a great power. Unlike his father who had in general been satisfied by ruling an independent state he tried to expand his influence in the Baltic and in Estonia, which made him clashing with his cousin King Frederick II of Denmark. In domestic politics Eric was strongly opposed by the Swedish nobility which was supported by his half-brother, the later John III of Sweden and whose rebellion he crushed 1563. Most of his reign was dominated by the Scandinavian Seven Years' War against Denmark during which he successfully repelled most Danish attempts of conquest but was not able to keep his own conquests. In these years his insanity was increasing, his reign became still more high-handed and marked by assaults, among them the killing of several members of the Sture family 1566. 1568 he was deposed and imprisoned by John who took over the power.
He died in prison, apparently of poisoning. A document signed by his brother John III of Sweden and a nobleman, Bengt Bengtsson Gylta, gave Eric's watchmen in his last prison authorization to poison him if anyone tried to release him. His body was later analyzed, and showed indications of poisoning.
Eric had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had three daughters:
- Virginia Eriksdotter (1559 – 1633) (living descendants)
- Constantia Eriksdotter (1560 – 1649) (living descendants)
- Lucretia Eriksdotter (1564 – after 1574) died young.
With Karin Jacobsdotter:
- An unmarried child, dead apr. 1565.
He finally married Karin Månsdotter (1550 – 1612), on July 4, 1568, their children were:
- Sigrid (1566 – 1633) (born before the marriage)
- Gustaf (1568 – 1607) (born before the marriage)
- Henrik (1570 – 1574)
- Arnold (1572-1573)
See also: History of Sweden - Foundation of Modern Sweden
| Preceded by: Gustav Vasa | King of Sweden 1560–1568 | Succeeded by: John III |
